Peach Aviation (MM), typically known simply as Peach, is a low-cost carrier based at Japan’s Kansai International Airport (KIX). From here and at bases in Naha (OKA), Sendai (SDJ) and Tokyo-Narita (NRT), the airline operates flights both within Japan, as well as to destinations throughout East and Southeast Asia. Several characteristics innate to Peach’s business model have generally made it an unattractive airline for me, though these might not be a deal-breaker for you.
Like most low-cost airlines, Peach operates in an all-economy configuration. However, passengers may select from among several paid seating options, which may be included with the fare, depending on which type you purchase.
Peach offers three fare types, ordered by increasing price and also by increasing benefits: Simple Peach; Value Peach; Prime Peach.
Simple Peach includes only your ticket, requiring you to pay to select a seat or check a bag; refunds and changes are impossible. Value Peach includes a free selection of certain seats and one checked bag and free changes, but no refunds.
Prime Peach fares allow you to select almost any seat on the plane for free and check two bags, and change your ticket as many times as you want without a fee. Do note, however, that the “refund” offered is in Peach points, not cash.
As someone who rarely checks bags or changes plans, I typically buy Simple Peach and add-ons à la carte, though your strategy may be different, depending on your travel needs.
Peach sells the bulkhead rows onboard all its aircraft as Fast Seat. In addition to offering the most legroom of any seat, the location at the front of the aircraft means that you can get off the plane first. I find this to be a feature worth paying for, even if the lack of underseat storage (due to the bulkhead wall) is disappointing.
Note that passengers traveling on all Peach fares need to pay extra for Fast Seats, even on a Prime Peach fare. If you want a Fast Seat but don’t need other Prime Peach perks like a free checked bag, you might want to purchase the seat by itself (as I usually do).
The Smart Seat offers extra legroom, and a location either in the first few rows of the plane, or the emergency exit rows. Notably, Smart Seat selection is an included perk of the Prime Peach fare. If you don’t absolutely need the bulkhead but want extra legroom and to be seated near the front of the plane, a Smart Seat is the best option.
Do note that while most Smart Seats offer underseat luggage stowage, this is not possible if you choose an exit row seat, due to local safety regulations.
Pleasure Seats are the several rows of seats between the front Smart Seats and exit row smart seats, as well as all window seats on the entire plane. These seats don’t have extra legroom, but either situate you closer to the front of the plane, or offer you a window view.
Free Pleasure Seat selection is an included perk of the Value Peach fare, which can make this a worthwhile upcharge if you also plan to check a bag, or if you think you might need to change your departure date or time.
The Standard Seat is just like it sounds: An ordinary aisle or middle seat toward the back of the aircraft, with Peach’s standard very cramped leg room. Although Value Peach passengers can select these seats for free, I’d just as soon allow for automatic seat selection during check-in and take my chances.
Here’s what you need to know about the airport experience when flying with Peach.
Peach has a relatively lenient for low-cost carriers, with two of its three fare classes (Value Peach and Prime Peach) offering 1 and 2 checked bags, respectively. The airline also allows for your 7 kg or 15 lbs of cabin baggage to be carried as up to two separate bags.
On this last point, my own personal experience has been that Peach ground staff only strictly enforce limits on carry-on size and weight when you’re traveling out of Kansai Airport (KIX). I’ve never had my bags scrutinized at any other airports when flying Peach.
Peach allows for check-in on its app for domestic Japan itineraries, though this is only possible between 35-90 minutes before the flight. Because of this strange restriction, I usually just opt to use an airport kiosk to check-in.
Peach does not operate any of its own lounges, nor are any of its passengers automatically entitled to access other carriers’ lounges. However, certain passengers (i.e. those holding a Priority Pass credential) may be able to enjoy lounge access at certain airports, mostly those outside of Japan.
If you’re flying out of Kansai Airport, you can use Priority Pass to access Nodoka Cafe, a co-working and relaxation space at the Aeroplaza Complex just outside of Terminal 1; there are no lounges in Peach’s Terminal 2.
If you access this space, however, keep in mind that the bus from here to Terminal 2 takes at least 20 minutes. In other words, you’ll want to arrive at the airport at least 90 minutes prior to departure.
Here’s what you can expect onboard a Peach flight.
When you board a Peach flight, you’ll notice that a Wi-Fi network is available. However, this will not permit you to connect to the internet.
Rather, it serves two purposes. First, to allow you to access Peach’s flight map. And secondly, to allow you to order food, drink and duty-free shopping items and have them delivered to your seat.
Since Peach offers neither Wi-Fi nor entertainment, I suggest downloading media to your phone in advance of your flight. This is an especially good idea on long domestic sectors like Osaka-Okinawa, and all international flights.
Peach doesn’t offer any amenities free of charge. However, you can use the inflight Wi-Fi server to order ones like blankets and pillows, as well as duty-free toiletries.
Rather than operating a traditional frequent flyer program, Peach offers passengers the ability to collect Peach Points. You can use these to pay for future flights, as well as for add-ons like seat selection and checked baggage.
All Peach flights earn a certain number of Peach Points, which the website will specify at the time of booking. Note that you need to be registered on the Peach website in advance in order to collect these points.
Do note that points accrue based on the currency with which you pay for your flights. This means that if you buy a flight departing Thailand (and pay in baht), it will accumulate a separate balance from domestic flights in Japan (whose Peach Points are in yen).
You can subsequently only use each Peach Point bank to pay for bookings and add-ons made in that currency. For this reason, I find the Peach Points system to have fairly limited utility.
Peach does not have its own credit cards, nor is it possible to transfer credit card points to your Peach Points account to make bookings. The best way to leverage credit cards when flying with Peach is to use premium travel credit cards like Citi Strata Premier and American Express Platinum, which earn bonus points on travel purchases.
If you book far enough in advance, there’s often very little difference in price between Peach and Japan’s two full-service carriers, ANA (NH) and Japan Airlines (JL). This is especially pronounced if you pay ancillary charges for seats or baggage with Peach, which doesn’t fly to any airports that ANA and JAL don’t already serve.
Moreover, at Peach’s Kansai Airport hub, it operates from Terminal 2, which is not only a 15-minute bus ride from the airport railway station, but comprises a spartan shed without lounges, restaurants or any amenities besides bathrooms. This is also the case at Tokyo-Narita and Okinawa-Naha.
With all of these potentially negative aspects of the airline, why would you ever fly Peach in the first place?
Well, as I hinted, timing can be a factor. For example, if your travel date is very soon, I’ve found that Peach fares can remain cheap, even as those on full-service airlines have doubled or tripled.
In fact, in very busy periods (such as Golden Week in May and the Obon Festival in June), JAL and ANA flights can be sold out entirely.
I’ve also heard some of my Japanese friends say they think Peach’s festive pink-and-orange branding adds an element of whimsy to the stressful travel experience, though I’ve never personally found this to be true.
This KAYAK-commissioned article is presented as-is, for general informational purposes only, and may not be up-to-date. The opinions contained in the article are original to the author and reflect their authentic experience, which may vary significantly from the experience of others. Find more perspectives in our user reviews below.
Flight # | Departure Airport | Arrival Airport | Duration | Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
132 | Sendai (SDJ) | Osaka (KIX) | 1h 45m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
320 | Tokyo (NRT) | Osaka (KIX) | 1h 40m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
31 | Osaka (KIX) | Kaohsiung City (KHH) | 3h 50m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
183 | Osaka (KIX) | Miyazaki (KMI) | 1h 10m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
197 | Osaka (KIX) | Kagoshima (KOJ) | 1h 20m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
175 | Osaka (KIX) | Nagasaki (NGS) | 1h 20m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
319 | Osaka (KIX) | Tokyo (NRT) | 1h 25m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
79 | Osaka (KIX) | Shanghai (PVG) | 2h 55m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
139 | Osaka (KIX) | Sendai (SDJ) | 1h 20m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
184 | Miyazaki (KMI) | Osaka (KIX) | 1h 5m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
198 | Kagoshima (KOJ) | Osaka (KIX) | 1h 10m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
465 | Nagoya (NGO) | Sapporo (CTS) | 1h 45m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
491 | Nagoya (NGO) | Sendai (SDJ) | 1h 15m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
723 | Nagoya (NGO) | Taipei City (TPE) | 3h 40m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
573 | Tokyo (NRT) | Sapporo (CTS) | 1h 50m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
529 | Tokyo (NRT) | Fukuoka (FUK) | 2h 20m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
92 | Bangkok (BKK) | Osaka (KIX) | 5h 30m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
627 | Tokyo (NRT) | Taipei City (TPE) | 4h 25m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
292 | Okinawa (OKA) | Fukuoka (FUK) | 1h 50m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
512 | Okinawa (OKA) | Tokyo (NRT) | 2h 30m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
927 | Okinawa (OKA) | Taipei City (TPE) | 1h 45m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
876 | Shanghai (PVG) | Tokyo (HND) | 2h 35m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
80 | Shanghai (PVG) | Osaka (KIX) | 2h 5m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
417 | Sendai (SDJ) | Sapporo (CTS) | 1h 20m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
494 | Sendai (SDJ) | Nagoya (NGO) | 1h 15m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
860 | Taipei City (TPE) | Tokyo (HND) | 3h 0m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
722 | Taipei City (TPE) | Nagoya (NGO) | 2h 35m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
620 | Taipei City (TPE) | Tokyo (NRT) | 3h 15m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
928 | Taipei City (TPE) | Okinawa (OKA) | 1h 40m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
455 | Fukuoka (FUK) | Sapporo (CTS) | 2h 20m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
68 | Hong Kong (HKG) | Osaka (KIX) | 3h 25m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
809 | Tokyo (HND) | Incheon (ICN) | 2h 45m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
291 | Fukuoka (FUK) | Okinawa (OKA) | 1h 55m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
877 | Tokyo (HND) | Shanghai (PVG) | 3h 50m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
859 | Tokyo (HND) | Taipei City (TPE) | 4h 10m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
530 | Fukuoka (FUK) | Tokyo (NRT) | 1h 55m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
808 | Incheon (ICN) | Tokyo (HND) | 2h 10m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
712 | Incheon (ICN) | Osaka (KIX) | 1h 45m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
160 | Fukuoka (FUK) | Osaka (KIX) | 1h 10m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
418 | Sapporo (CTS) | Sendai (SDJ) | 1h 15m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
584 | Sapporo (CTS) | Tokyo (NRT) | 1h 50m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
466 | Sapporo (CTS) | Nagoya (NGO) | 2h 0m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
32 | Kaohsiung City (KHH) | Osaka (KIX) | 2h 40m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
91 | Osaka (KIX) | Bangkok (BKK) | 6h 45m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
116 | Sapporo (CTS) | Osaka (KIX) | 2h 25m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
115 | Osaka (KIX) | Sapporo (CTS) | 1h 55m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
159 | Osaka (KIX) | Fukuoka (FUK) | 1h 25m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
67 | Osaka (KIX) | Hong Kong (HKG) | 4h 45m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
711 | Osaka (KIX) | Incheon (ICN) | 2h 5m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
176 | Nagasaki (NGS) | Osaka (KIX) | 1h 10m | • | • | • | • | |||
542 | Amami (ASJ) | Tokyo (NRT) | 2h 5m | • | • | • | • | • | ||
26 | Taipei City (TPE) | Osaka (KIX) | 2h 30m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
25 | Osaka (KIX) | Taipei City (TPE) | 3h 35m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
294 | Ishigaki (ISG) | Fukuoka (FUK) | 2h 5m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
235 | Osaka (KIX) | Ishigaki (ISG) | 2h 45m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
456 | Sapporo (CTS) | Fukuoka (FUK) | 2h 55m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
215 | Osaka (KIX) | Okinawa (OKA) | 2h 25m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
532 | Ishigaki (ISG) | Tokyo (NRT) | 2h 50m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
271 | Sapporo (CTS) | Okinawa (OKA) | 4h 0m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
236 | Ishigaki (ISG) | Osaka (KIX) | 2h 15m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
511 | Tokyo (NRT) | Okinawa (OKA) | 3h 30m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
293 | Fukuoka (FUK) | Ishigaki (ISG) | 2h 25m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
483 | Nagoya (NGO) | Okinawa (OKA) | 2h 35m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
488 | Okinawa (OKA) | Nagoya (NGO) | 2h 0m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
216 | Okinawa (OKA) | Osaka (KIX) | 1h 55m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
531 | Tokyo (NRT) | Ishigaki (ISG) | 3h 50m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
272 | Okinawa (OKA) | Sapporo (CTS) | 3h 15m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
541 | Tokyo (NRT) | Amami (ASJ) | 2h 50m | • | • | • | • | • |
IATA Code | MM |
---|---|
Routes | 72 |
Top route | Sapporo Chitose Airport to Tokyo Narita Airport |
Airports served | 20 |
Top airport | Osaka Kansai Intl |